Confucius
Confucius (September 28, 551 BCE – 479 BCE) was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. Herritage It is thought that Confucius was born on September 28, 551 BCE, in the district of Zou (鄒邑) near present-day Qufu, China. The area was notionally controlled by the kings of Zhou but effectively independent under the local lords of Lu. His father Kong He (孔紇) or Shuliang He (叔梁紇) was an elderly commandant of the local Lu garrison. His ancestry traced back through the dukes of Song to the Shang dynasty which had preceded the Zhou. Traditional accounts of Confucius's life relate that Kong He's grandfather had migrated the family from Song to Lu. Politics In Confucius's time, the state of Lu was headed by a ruling ducal house. Under the duke were three aristocratic families, whose heads bore the title of viscount and held hereditary positions in the Lu bureaucracy. The Ji family held the position "Minister over the Masses"; the Meng family held the position "Minister of Works"; and the Shu family held the position "Minister of War". In time, Confucius had built up a considerable reputation through his teachings, to achieve loyalty to a legitimate government. In 501 BCE, Confucius was appointed a minor governor of a town and eventually to the position of Minister of Crime. The Shiji stated that the neighboring Qi state was worried that Lu was becoming too powerful while Confucius was involved in the government of the Lu state. According to this account, Qi decided to sabotage Lu's reforms. Due to the duke of Lu's constant ineptness, Confucius seized upon the pretext to leave both his post and the Lu state. After Confucius's resignation, he began a long journey or set of journeys around the principality states of north-east and including Wey, Song, Zheng, Cao, Chu, Qi, Chen, and Cai (and a failed attempt to go to Jin). At the courts of these states, he expounded his political beliefs but did not see them implemented. Philosophy Confucius is traditionally credited with having authored or edited many of the Chinese classic texts including all of the , but modern scholars are cautious of attributing specific assertions to Confucius himself. Aphorisms concerning his teachings were compiled in the , but only many years after his death. The philosophy of Confucius, also known as , emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. His followers competed successfully with many other schools during the era only to be suppressed in favor of the Legalists during the Qin Dynasty. Following the victory of Han over Chu after the collapse of Qin, Confucius's thoughts received official sanction and were further developed into a system known in the West as , and later (Modern ). Confucius's principles have commonality with Chinese tradition and belief. He championed strong family loyalty, ancestor veneration, and respect of elders by their children and of husbands by their wives, recommending family as a basis for ideal government. He espoused the well-known principle "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself", the . He is also a traditional deity in Daoism. Bibliography * Dubs, Homer H. (1946). "The political career of Confucius". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 66 (4): 273–282. JSTOR 596405 * Schuman, Michael (2015). Confucius: And the World He Created. Basic Books. ISBN 0465040578. Retrieved August 17, 2015. * Violatti, Cristian (August 31, 2013). "Confucianism". Ancient History Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on August 18, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015 Category:Classical antiquity Category:5th century BCE Category:Classical China